August 09, 2008

Crew: Give Me a Break

Notre Dame's Crewcut Charlie Weis gave his annual state of the program address on Friday and once again, Jimmy Clausen was the center of attention after photographs of the quarterback attending the "Beer Olympics" appeared on The Big Lead.

Reporters warmed up with a couple of softball questions, then in came the heat. What about Clausen, and what about the photos?

Weis was ready, joking about winning a $1 bet with a member of his staff about which reporter would broach the topic. After endorsing gambling, he condoned underage drinking, then added: "Give me a break. Let's move on."

Fair enough. Our initial reaction was that nothing would become of this, but what did the star quarterback who had almost as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes (seven) in 2007 have to say? He too, was well rehearsed, embracing the challenge.

"That's the one thing about being the quarterback at Notre Dame — the spotlight is on you at all times," he said. "That's why I came to Notre Dame. That's what I wanted."

We'll drink to that, brother!

Last year Weis had to answer questions about Clausen's health after Internet reports indicated the quarterback had elbow surgery. Weis then issued his macho "tradition never graduates" line before his Fighting Irish embarked on a 3-9 season.

Weis back then: "It's easy for everyone to say, 'This is a transition year. This is a rebuilding year.' You can't ever think like that. I can’t think like that. Players won’t think like that. Not happening."